This research group combines expertise in knowledge representation and reasoning, database systems, net-centric information systems, and conceptual modeling. Its grand research challenge is to succeed in the transition from traditional information systems, such as information retrieval systems, database and workflow management systems, to semantically rich, large-scale, adaptive information systems. Such systems will be characterized by large-scale semantic interoperation, massive distribution, and/or a high level of autonomy and self-adaptation. Besides conducting theoretical work on the above issues, research group carries out applied research work in a number of application domains, including cultural informatics, biomedical informatics, e-learning, e-commerce and IT security. Work in these domains has a strong interdisciplinary character, since it includes the aspect of understanding the respective domain and modeling it through an appropriate conceptualization.

The Graduate Studies Program in the Computer Science Department at the University of Crete is carried out in close cooperation with the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Foundation of Research and Technology (FORTH). This collaboration includes:

(1) Researchers and scientists from ICS-FORTH may undertake the teaching of graduate courses.

(2) Researchers from ICS-FORTH may participate in the supervision of M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses, after approval by the Coordinating Committee for Graduate Studies and by ICS-FORTH.

(3) After application by a supervisor or by the Coordinating Committee for Graduate Studies, and assuming permission is granted by ICS-FORTH, graduate students may be given access to the hardware, software and in general the laboratory facilities at ICS where they may carry out part or all of their research.

(4) The Department and ICS-FORTH may jointly invite professors and researchers from other institutes of higher education within Greece or in other countries to give seminars, lecture series, even complete courses, and to collaborate research-wise with researchers and graduate students of the Department and of ICS-FORTH.

(5) The Institute of Computer Science at FORTH provides a number of bursaries for graduate students and supports financially collaboration of graduate students with other Institutes of Higher Education and Research Centers, within its limits and in accordance with the familiar stipulations.